How can educators use English learners’ (EL’s) assets—such as their knowledge of their home language and prior learning—to help them access deeper learning opportunities? Facilitated by a team of researchers and practitioners working in South King County, Washington, this session will strengthen participants’ knowledge of the strengths and experiences of older ELs, and discuss concrete examples of how their assets have been harnessed. Older ELs (aged 12-21) who move to the U.S. often experience difficulty earning enough credits to graduate. They are also less likely to take rigorous courses such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate. Together, these barriers contribute to lower high school graduation college enrollment rates than their peers. One of ELs’ greatest strengths is their fluency in their home language, which can provide cognitive (Bialystok, 2011) and economic (Saiz & Zoido, 2005) benefits. Washington and other states have worked with policy makers to provide high school credit for linguistic competency to tap this strength. Similarly, problems transferring academic credits earned outside the U.S. can be resolved by the creation of clear guidelines for credit transfer. The session shares how to support older ELs as they navigate through middle and high school. Participants will apply findings about older ELs as they engage with two mini case studies. First, they will reflect about practices related to the Speak Your Language Campaign, an effort encouraging developing heritage language fluency across South King County. Then they will work in groups to identify how to address how to better serve older ELs who have arrived in the U.S. after age 12. Following a gallery walk of group work, participants will learn where to find additional resources to improve their supports of older ELs.